Central Speaks

John 8:12

Isaiah 6:1-8

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 13th December 2020) Topic: A Christian Response To Christmas What is your most meaningful Christmas experience? What is the greatest or most memorable Christmas gift you have received? Christmas in a country like ours so often misses the point. Why do you think that has happened? When the Apostle Paul suggested we be non-conformist (Romans 12:2) what do...

John 12:20-26

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 29th November 2020) Text: Acts 8:1-4 Describe a traumatic event that happened to you in your formative years? How has God used that for your good over the years? Why is that people who live righteous lives are sometimes the butt of hatred and opposition? In what ways are Christ-followers persecuted in the 21st century? What has it cost you to be a Chris...

Discussion Questions: (Week commencing Sunday 22nd November 2020) Text: Acts 6:8-7:60 How important is our reputation? How would you respond to those who say they don’t really care what other people think of them? On the Day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter referred to the experience of Holy Spirit power as something that would be for all followers of Jesus (Acts 2:38-39). Why do you think this was...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 15th November 2020) Text: Acts 6:1-7 How do you cope with conflict? Some people don’t seem to be too affected; others find it devastating. Which are you? How can conflict within a church community (or small-group or family) be constructive and produce a good outcome? What needs to happen? There’s a lot of talk (around the world, and even here in NZ) abo...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 8th November 2020) Text: Mark 2:1-12 Which of the characters do you naturally lean towards? What is an unexpected cost you have had to pay because you are a follower of Christ Had you been there on the crowd. How would you respond? We follow a Teacher who unconventional, how easy is it for you not follow the crowd and do something unconventional? Having...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 1st November 2020) Text: Acts 5:17-42 V.17 says that the Sadducees were filled with jealousy toward the apostles. Why do you think that was the case? What experiences have you had of being told to not speak about your faith? Peter’s response to the Sanhedrin (v.29) is forthright and defiant. What might be occasions in our day and aged where such forthri...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 25th October 2020) Text: Acts 5:12-16 When you read about miraculous events in the Bible do you accept them as described, or do you doubt the accuracy of what is recorded? What would you consider to be the greatest miracle described in the Bible? A number of churches like to say they believe in healing and miracles, but it often looks like the same peop...

Discussions Questions In your own words talk about when you were saved. Was it a moment in history, or something that happened over a period of time? Tell your story. What does the term Salvation mean to you. Explain it to the rest of the group, and then listen as others explain what they understand. What are the consistent terms and ideas being used. As you think about the terms that you have use...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 11th October 2020) Text: Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-15 Why do you think Paul and Peter saw it important to write about obeying the laws of the land? What might have precipitated that? How do you respond to Romans 13:1? Are there exceptions to this? In the first few centuries of the church there were occasions when governing authorities compelled action...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 27th September 2020) Text: 1 Kings 17 & 18 What are some beautiful things you have learned during difficult times? Talk about an experience you have had where you cried out to God for something. Hebrews 12:7-11 talks about hardship coming from God, who as a father, disciplines His children. How might this passage be an encouragement to you in your n...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 20th September 2020) Text: Luke 8:22-25 How do you tend to respond to storms in your life—with panic or peace? Or both? Can you think of any times in your life when doing the right thing (obeying God)… …led you into a storm? ...led you out of a storm? We hear this phrase quoted by many in our culture today in a variety of difficult or confusing situatio...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 13th September 2020) Text: Acts 4:32-37 Which part of this passage grabs (amazes/challenges/astounds) you the most? Why? What does unity in the church look like, and what are some ways it is challenged or stymied? How does unity amongst believers testify to unbelievers about God (John 17:20-23)? What are the risks in sharing one’s resources? What can be...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 6th September 2020) Text: Acts 4:1-31 Which verse (or part) of Acts 4:1-32 grabs your attention more than the rest? Why? What was the crime for which Peter and John were arrested? Talk about an experience you have had of sensing an opportunity (to speak or serve or do something dramatic for the Lord) that you took hold of? Political correctness has both...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 30th August 2020) Text: Acts 3:1-26 Describe an experience you have had, or have seen, of healing in response to prayer? When people saw the man healed it really got the attention of the crowd. What might happen if people in our day and age saw a healing/miracle? How would you explain a word like “faith” or the phrase “in the name of Jesus” to someone w...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 23rd August 2020) Text: Acts 2:42-47 If someone were to audit your life, what would they say that you were “devoted” to? (v.42) What kind of image do you think our church has amongst the wider community? What aspects of our community life are appealing or attractive to unbelievers? How important is it that they/we are? What experience have you had of th...

Discussion Questions  (Week commencing Sunday 16th August 2020)  Text: Acts 2:37 -41   If someone came up to you and asked what they had to do to become a Christian, what would you tell them?  How much is belief and how much is action?   What is an example of repentance in your life since becoming a follower of Jesus?  What was the consequence or impact of doing so? &...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 9th August 2020) Text: Acts 2:1-41 Why do you think the outpouring of the Holy Spirit happened was timed for the Jewish festival of Pentecost? Was there significance to that? Visitors to Jerusalem heard the believers speaking words of praise in their native (vernacular) tongue. What experience have you had of being in a foreign language country and hear...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 2nd August 2020) Text: Acts 1:12-26 What is your experience of being given (or accepting) a big responsibility/assignment? What did you do? What kinds of situations drive you to a time of intense prayer? Jesus’ mother and brothers were present. But they had formerly been unsupportive of his ministry. What do you think might have changed their view of Je...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 26th July, 2020) Text: Acts 1:1-11 Jesus told the disciples to “wait” until they encountered the Holy Spirit. Why was that the case, and what is an experience you have had of having to wait for something? When you think of being a witness for Jesus, what kinds of activity does that describe? Picture yourself as on the people present when Jesus ascended...

Life Group Questions Celebrate and Remember: Deuteronomy 16:16-17 Sunday 19th July 2020 The feast of Passover occurs at the same time as the Easter observance. Discuss the similarities in meaning of the two occasions in terms of what God says to us through them. For example look at the theme of being saved in both. Pentecost in the New Testament is a first fruits celebration. In what ways is Pente...

Hear O Israel: Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Sunday 12th July 2020 Discussion Questions:   1. In Deuteronomy 5 Moses again presents the 10 Commandments. Lok through these and then compare with the account of the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20. Are there differences.   2. The text of Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is called the Great Commandment. How does it get this title and do you agree?   3. The word Hear...

Discussion Questions (Week commencing Sunday 5th July 2020) Text: Matthew 11:28-30 Why is it that in a world with more time saving gadgets and resources people complain of being more tired than ever? If Jesus were to enter our world (as he did 2000 years ago) what do you think might be his commentary on our Western “busyness”? What is an example of you doing something out of obedience to God, that...